The Line where te Sky meets the Sea
by LilaLuna12
Summary: With the help of Natasha and Clint, Wanda learns a new skill, something that should be taught by family, and eventually, it is.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey Wanda, how is it going?" Clint asked when he and Natasha reached the little witch in a corridor of the compound, the girl with several books in her arms, trying to balance them all, as well as a steaming cup of tea on top of the stack. The two spies each had a towel flung on a shoulder.

"I am going to my room, I need to organize my new books, so I can find them more easily! I almost read them all already, so maybe next time, I could go to the library to find some new ones. I hope they have a lot!" She started to ramble.

Her eyes sparkled when she talked about her books, her most prized possessions, making Natasha chuckle. It was just adorable. The girl was now pretty accustomed to live there with the other Avengers, and everyone had taken quite a liking for the girl.

"Do you want to join us?" the spy asked, ignoring her statement about needing to sort her books out.

"Where are you going?" the girl asked, raison an eyebrow to the two older Avengers.

"We're heading to the pool to swim a few laps."

Wanda lowered her head, letting her toes drag on the floor in front of her, nervousness oozing from her in waves.

"No thank you, I am okay."

"Don't you like to swim?" Clint asked. "I love water, my kids do too, so I try to take them to the beach at least once a year."

"It's not that," Wanda answered, not looking up.

"Then what is it?" Clint pushed, ignoring Natasha, that hit him in the shoulder, sensing the girl's discomfort and not wanting to press whatever the issue was.

Wanda muttered an answer under her breath, too low for either of them to catch.

"What was that?"

"I don't know how to swim" Wanda repeated, louder this time, looking up to meet Clint's eyes.

"That's fine, we can teach you" Clint said, not missing a beat, so the girl didn't feel embarrassed.

"You don't have time for that."

This time it was Natasha that answered.

"Nonsense. It would be our pleasure. Clint is to slow for me anyway, so swimming with him is no fun"

Clint opened wide eyes, a hand on his heart, a shocked expression on his face, pretending to be hurt

"You wound me, miss Romanoff"

"I don't even have a swimsuit," she tried to argue, eyes pleading.

"You can borrow one of mine, they should fit you just fine."

Wanda still wasn't convinced.

"You know, if I have time to teach three of my kids how to swim, it's only fair that I take the time to teach my fourth." Clint said, putting his hand on her upper arm.

That did the trick. Wanda opened wide eyes, staring straight at the archer.

"Thank you" she said, and the three of them knew it wasn't only for the offer to teach her to swim.

"Then it's settled", Natasha said as she took Wanda's hand. "Let's see if we can find you something to wear."

She took half the pile of books from the younger girl and led her further away in the hallway.

"I'll wait for you by the pool" Clint called after them just before the door of the elevator closed behind them.

Fifteen minutes later, Clint was already sitting with his legs in the water, waiting for them.

It was a really nice pool, just as grand as everything else in the tower, with big windows opening on New-York landscape. The artificial lightning inside the pool and the nighttime sky that could be seen through the windows made the whole room glow a shimmering shade of blue.

Clint heard the two girls come in and turned towards them. There was no change in their outfits, except two straps peeking out from Wanda's dress, tied around her neck in a loose bow.

Soon enough, the three of them were down to their swimsuits, purple boardshorts for Clint, and simple black bikinis for the two girls. They were ready to go in. Clint took Wanda's hand and led her to the shallow part.

"First, are you afraid of being in the water?" he asked gently.

"No, I don't think I am, but I didn't have many occasions to test that theory"

"That's fine, we'll see how it goes"

Natasha also stepped in the water and walked in until she had water down to her waist. Clint and Wanda were still knee-deep.

"Okay, come to me" the redhead said, putting her hand forward in an inviting gesture.

Wanda had no trouble walking to her. So apparently, she wasn't afraid of water. That would make the process much easier.

"Now I'll show you then first movements, and you'll try to copy me."

Natasha went a bit deeper and started to swim slowly across the pool. Wanda watched with attention, her head tilted, observing every movement so she could reproduce them. Clint came to her side and touched her waist.

"Now it's your turn, but don't worry, I'll hold you. I promise I won't let you drown."

After giving him her best nervous look, with big green eyes opened wide, she complied. She laid in the water, her head still above the surface. Clint slid her head under her belly to keep her afloat. She started to imitate Natasha's earlier movements. They were a bit sloppy and splashy, but she still went forward.

It reminded the archer of a few years earlier, when he had done exactly the same with Lila, and even before with Cooper. Soon enough, he would be doing it with Nate too.

Natasha watched them with soft eyes, and a fond, gentle smile.

Once Wanda had grasped the concept, Clint removed his hand by a few inches, letting her swim on her own for a few seconds, before putting his hand back on to reassure her. They went like this a few more time, still in the shallow end of the pool.

Wanda was becoming more and more confident with every meter crossed and Clint's smile became larger and larger.

"Now, I want you to swim to Nat."

He pointed towards Natasha that was in the deep end, looking at them.

"I'll catch you," the redhead added, her arms extended in front of her.

Wanda was a bit unsure, but one more look from Clint, and she went. She swam slowly, a bit clumsily and splashing around, but she reached Natasha, that caught her and helped her stay afloat until they both reached the side wall of the pool.

Wanda pushed herself up, and sat on the edge.

"I did it! I did it! I swam on my own!" she exclaimed, batting her hands like a child would do.

The two spied watched her with matching proud smiles.

"Yes, you did, and you did good" Clint said.

"Can we do it again?"

Clint checked the time, on his water-proof watch before looking up again.

"One last time, and then, time to join the others for dinner"

Wanda grinned and lowered herself into the water once again, with Natasha still by her side.

She swam back to Clint, a little more easily than the first time, with more confidence. Once she had reached the archer, she stood up and jumped into his arms. He wrapped her in an embrace, repeating how proud he was.

Natasha joined them soon enough.

"Well, first lesson was a success. I suggest next week for another one?" she asked, tugging on the girl's auburn wet hair.

"Works for me", Clint answered, looking at Wanda who nodded, still grinning.

They dried and went to the changing rooms to have a shower, change, and meet the others for dinner.

4


	2. Chapter 2

Dinner time came quickly enough, and all the present Avengers gathered in the tower's living room. Natasha and Steve were both in the kitchen part, fixing dinner for everyone. Clint was sprawled out on one of the couches, cleaning some of his new arrowheads while Tony was standing up next to a window, his Stark tablet in hand, checking something. Sam was watching tv, muted on a news channel. Wanda was the last one to join the group, her hair still wet from the shower, dampening the back of her dress, a book tucked under her arm. She flopped down next to Clint and opened her book to the marked page.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for some time, the noise being the occasional page flipping, and a clicking noise that could be heard from the kitchen.

Natasha joined them a bit later and leaned over the back of the couch, placing her hands on Wanda's shoulders.

"Alice in Wonderland? Again? Didn't you say you had some new books to start?" she asked the girl.

Wanda lifted her head and threw her head back to look at Natasha that towered over her.

"I do, but the earlier I start, the earlier I finish. And I don't want to finish, so I don't start. Not yet at least. And I was rereading this when I got the new ones so I thought that I might as well finish it before starting another one." She started to ramble, making Natasha chuckle.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I need someone to set the table."

"I'll do it" Wanda said, standing up promptly, nearly knocking the redhead over, if it wasn't for her outstanding reflexes.

"Thanks honey."

Soon enough, they were all sat around the table, enjoying a good homecooked pasta dish. They chatted lightly about everything that was not work-related, a very laid back and peaceful atmosphere surrounding everything.

"So, anyone did something interesting today?" Sal asked, resting against the back of his chair, a hand on his stomach, fully contented.

"I am this close to have a major breakthrough in my new project, but I just can't seem to find what's missing. I know it's nothing, I just can't find what it is exactly" Tony said, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"You still don't want to tell us what it is?" Steve asked, reaching for the pasta bowl to serve a second helping.

"Nope, you will all know when it's done, which should be very soon, I hope at least"

"I hope so too, Tony." Natasha said, shooting him a warm smile. "I think Wanda also had a major breakthrough today!" she added.

Wanda lowered her head, and flushed a bit.

"Come on Wanda, tell them" Clint pushed

"Well, it wasn't really a breakthrough, it was more like… filling a gap."

"What is it?" Sam pressed.

"I learned how to swim"

"You did? But aren't you like, seventeen? How come you never learnt before?" Sam asked, earning a well-deserved kick in the shins under the table, by none other than the redhead spy.

"Well, Sokovia isn't really a coastal country, and the only lake was more than a hundred miles away and we didn't have a car, so Abba and Ima never could take us there. And we were too poor to afford going to the swimming-pool, so I guess I never had the opportunity."

"Right, I am sorry Wanda, that was very insensitive of me. You know that's something everybody should know how to do, so better late than never."

"He's right Wanda, that's great! How did you learn?"

"Tasha and Clint taught me."

"We did, and just to set things straight, you don't know how to swim yet, you just started to learn, so don't go diving somewhere yet, young lady" Clint confirmed, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"I promise I won't"

"Good"

Toney had said nothing throughout he whole conversation, observing silently. One could practically see the wheels turning in his brain.

"Have you ever seen the sea, Wanda?" he eventually asked, tilting his head

"No, like I said Sokovia equals no sea, and I never traveled before joining you guys"

"Then, that's something that must be fixed. When you know how to swim for sure, and believe me when I say that I am going to wait for Natasha and Clint's approval, I am taking all of you to my house on the West coast and we're going to have a family vacation. That's not negotiable."

"You know what, Tony, as much as it hurts me to admit it, that's actually a good idea." Natasha said, smiling softly.

"Can I bring Laura and the kids?"

"I don't see why not"

Clint grinned "They're gonna be so thrilled, they've been begging me to take them to the beach for months now."

"Then it's settled. Now it's up to you kid" He turned to Wanda, that looked at him with wide eyes.

"You really want to take me to see the sea?"

Tony nodded and Wanda's eyes sparkled.

"I am going to see the sea! The real sea! Thank you, Tony, I really appreciate it"

"It's nothing kid. That's long overdue."

Later that night, Natasha came knocked on Wanda's door. She came in when she heard the girl's answer. Wanda was sitting on her bed, crossed-legs, drawing on the journal on her lap.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

"Huh-huh, I wanted to thank you again for today, for teaching me to swim"

Natasha came closer.

"No, none of this. You had a good time, we had a good time, that's all that matter."

The little witch set the journal aside on her bedside table and laid down. Natasha sat on the bed, propped up against the headboard with her legs stretching out in front of her. Wanda shifted so her head was on Natasha's lap. The spy's hand almost unconsciously went to stroke the girl's hair.

"You know, when Pietro and I were on the streets, we made a list of what we wanted to do when... You know. The first thing was to eat tons of caramels, the second one was to finally see that movie about the girl that follows the yellow road, and the third one was to see the sea. Pietro called it our blue dream because everytime he saw a very pretty blue, he would say "hey Wanda, maybe the sea is blue like this" I can't believe that I will finally realize that third dream."

"Then why do I feel like something is still bothering you?"

"It's stupid"

"I am sure it's not."

"It feels weird to be able to accomplish something like that without him. I feel like I should not be doing it without him."

"That's exactly why I think you should do it. You know, you always tell that half of him lives in you and half of you lived in him, right?"

Wanda merely nodded.

"Then if you do it, half of him does it too. You can do it for the two of you and enjoy it for the two of you. Wanda, you know he would want you to go."

Wand sat up and turned towards Natasha.

"How do you always know what to say?"

"One of my many talents I guess" Natasha shrugged, a smile on her face.

"Thank you, again"

"Come on, stop now, you already said that too much today."

Wanda laid back down and Natasha resumed stroking her hair. Comfortable silence fell on them, but neither of them felt the need to fill it.

Around ten minutes later, Natasha heard Wanda's breathing even out. She was asleep. She moved slowly, slipping from under the sleeping witch before standing up. She set the girl's head on her pillow and covered her with the sheets.

"Good night darling" she whispered with a kiss on her forehead.

And she left the room, softly closing the door after her.

4


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay Wanda, I think that's it, we can officially say that you can swim." Clint said, floating in the deep end of the pool, watching Wanda swim laps from Natasha to him.

"No, one more thing, you need to be able to put your hand under water." Natasha added

Wanda visibly whitened and stood up near Natasha in the shallow part. She started to wring her hands nervously, not lifting her gaze from her wrists.

"No, I… I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? there's nothing to be afraid of!"

"But… I really don't want to do it" she whispered

"Why? Wanda you need to tell us, or we can't help you." Natasha said, putting her hand on Wanda's shoulder. The girl flinched and stepped back. Natasha's eyes met Clint's. It had been weeks since Wanda had had such a violent reaction.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

She went out of the pool, picked up her stuff and left the pool, saying no more.

"Okay, that was weird." Clint said, following the girl's retreating figure.

"And that's something that we can't just let go." Natasha answered, already out of the water.

"I know." Clint sighed, following her.

A few hours later, Clint and Natasha gathered behind Wanda's bedroom door. They had given her time to cool down, so hopefully they would be able to talk calmly. They started to argue quietly about whether or not it was a good idea to confront her now.

Their argument died down and the door opened, threads of scarlet curling around the handle.

"For two spies, you're awfully loud."

Clint and Natasha came in. Wanda was sitting at her desk, her notebook opened in front of her, pencil in hand. She was working on a drawing representing two people, a little girl and a baby. When he came closer, Clint saw that it was in fact Lila and Nate. He recognized the image from a picture Laura had taken during one of their monthly picnics in the forest near their house. Laura had the habit to send pictures to Clint, Wanda and Natasha every week, so even though they were often away, they could still see the children grow up.

"You knew we would be there" Clint accused.

Wanda didn't answer, but focused on her drawing. Natasha sighed and went to sit on the bed. Clint leaned against the doorframe.

"Wanda, you know you can talk to us, instead of running away like you did." The archer went on

"You can and you should, by the way, keeping everything bottled up will not do you any good. I thought you knew that." Natasha added.

"I know, but sometimes, it's just too hard." The girl whispered, still leaning over her notebook, the brushes of her pencil on the paper becoming sharper.

"Wanda, look at me."

Wanda sighed, closed her notebook and stood up, facing Natasha. The older spy patted the space next to her on the bed, and Wanda went to sit, looking down at her fingers, playing with her rings.

"You know we won't force you to tell us anything. We just think it might be easier for you to move on if you did. It's up to you though."

Wanda remained silent, weighing pros and cons in her head. Clint and Natasha didn't say anything either, letting her come to a decision by herself.

"Can I just show you? I don't really want to tell"

"As you want." Clint answered, moving closer.

Wanda closed her eyes, and two scarlet tendrils came out of her open palms, one aiming for Clint, the other for Natasha. They stopped inches away from both of their forehead. Wanda's voice appeared in their heads. "_Are you sure_?" She was always so careful with entering other's minds, as she still had nightmares about what she made them live through when she was following Ultron, she never really forgave herself, probably never would.

"_Yes, go ahead_" Clint thought, knowing she would hear.

"_Tasha?"_

"_It's okay, go on_"

The scarlet ribbons finally touched their foreheads, and Wanda's room started to blur around them, replaced by a much different place, much darker, much colder one.

They were in a small room, a cell really, with no windows and grey cement walls. In front of them was a seemingly younger Wanda, long tangled strands of auburn hair tumbling down her back, dark circles under her eyes, wearing a dirty white sort of dress, staring blankly in front of her, held on either side by two bulky guards.

A commotion was heard, and two more guys brought in a boy. Pietro. Clint felt a pang in his chest at the sight of him. He was as skinny as his sister, his hair longer than when they had meet for the first time and curly and brown.

"Well, well, well…" Stucker entered the cell, his voice echoing in the silent room. Natasha gritted her teeth when she saw him, and she had to contain herself in order not to jump on him and tear his eyes out, preferably in the most painful way possible.

"You know what, little Wanda? You darling brother here, refused to cooperate earlier today. You know what it means, don't you?" he went on, a sickly grin on his face.

Pietro whitened even more, but Wanda stayed stoic, emotionless.

Shouts could be heard from the boy, but it all started to blur once again, and before they knew it, they were back in Wanda's warm room at the tower.

"I am sorry, I cannot do it, I cannot go on." Wanda whispered.

She was a shaking mess on her bed, her legs drawn up against her chest, face hiding in her knees. Natasha stood up from the bed, and knelt in front of her, knowing better than to touch her yet.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's fine, you're fine. Don't worry it's okay, it's over"

Her shaking didn't lessen.

"Wanda, honey, open your eyes, look around you, we're in your room, at the tower"

Slowly, Wanda lifted her head, and one of her hands found the comforter on her bed. She gripped it tightly in her fist.

"Yes, darling, just like that, deep breath. Can I touch you?" Natasha asked softly, her hands still raised in front of her.

Wanda merely nodded and Natasha slipped her arms around the little witch's shoulders. Instinctively, Wanda leaned into her side, letting herself be held. She had come a long way since she first came to live with them. Then she would avoid physical contact, and now she was seeking it.

A few minutes later, Wanda was calm again, her breathing back to normal.

"You know, you don't have to tell us" Clint said, a hand on Wanda's back.

"But I want to, I need to…"

"Okay then, take your time, short sentences, few words."

Wanda took a deep breath before hiding her face in the crook of Natasha's neck.

"When Pietro did something they didn't like, they would punish him by hurting me. Sometimes, they held my head under water until I couldn't breathe."

Silence fell. There it was. Water-boarding, of course. Clint felt like punching himself. Why did he not think of it earlier? It made perfect sense. Natasha just held her tighter. She knew the feeling, and didn't wish it on anyone.

"That's something you can overcome. I know you can. We'll help you, but I promise you, you'll be able to swim just as well as anybody else."

Wanda lifted hopeful green eyes to Clint.

"Now sleep, and meet us at the pool tomorrow, same time as today. "

Clint kissed her forehead and left the room, without adding anything else. Natasha went to stand up to follow too, but Wanda gripped her arm.

"Can you stay a bit longer? Please?"

Natasha just smiled and sat back down. They didn't say a word, just enjoyed each other's presence.

"Now I'm okay, you can go." Wanda said after what felt like hours, but was only minutes.

"Okay, I'll see tomorrow." The spy stood up and opened the door. "Don't be late" she called from the hallway. Natasha heard Wanda's giggle and smiled. Yes, it was all worth it.

Two weeks later, Wanda put her head under water and swam all the way across the pool, under Natasha and Clint's proud gaze.

Natasha went to see Tony the same night, telling him Wanda was ready.

4


End file.
